The third stimulus check went to most SSDI recipients automatically in 2021

The third round of federal stimulus payments, authorized by Congress in March 2021, reached most Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients without requiring them to take any action. The IRS and Social Security coordinated to send payments directly to bank accounts or by mail, using the same payment method each person already had on file with Social Security.

If you received SSDI benefits in March 2021, you almost certainly received this payment. The amount was $1,400 per person for most recipients, though some people received less or nothing depending on their income and tax filing status in 2020.

Because this payment occurred in 2021 and is now in the past, this article explains what happened, who received it, and what to do if you believe you should have received one but did not.

Key Takeaways

  • The third stimulus payment of $1,400 per person was sent automatically to SSDI recipients in spring 2021 using existing payment methods on file with Social Security.
  • The IRS used your 2020 tax return or Social Security records to determine the payment amount, and income limits applied—some higher earners received reduced amounts or nothing.
  • If you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, you can check the IRS website or contact the IRS to find out what happened.
  • Stimulus payments were not counted as income for purposes of SSI resource limits or ongoing benefit calculations.

Who received the third stimulus payment

The IRS sent the third stimulus payment to people who met these basic conditions: they were a U.S. citizen or resident alien, had a valid Social Security number, and were not claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return. Most SSDI recipients met all three conditions automatically.

SSDI recipients did not have to file a tax return or take any other action to receive the payment. Social Security provided the IRS with a list of current beneficiaries, and the IRS used that list along with 2020 tax return information to calculate and send payments.

The payment amount depended on your income reported on your 2020 tax return. The full $1,400 went to single filers with income under $75,000 and married filers with income under $150,000. Above those thresholds, the payment reduced by $5 for every $100 of additional income, eventually reaching zero at higher income levels.

How and when the payments were sent

The IRS began sending third stimulus payments in mid-March 2021 and continued through the summer. Most payments arrived within two to three weeks of when they were issued, though timing varied depending on whether you received the payment by direct deposit or by mail.

If you had direct deposit set up with Social Security for your SSDI payments, the stimulus went to the same bank account. If you received your SSDI benefit by check, the IRS mailed you a check for the stimulus payment instead of depositing it.

Some people received their payment on a debit card issued by the Treasury Department. This happened most often to people who had received previous stimulus payments by card or who had no bank account on file with Social Security.

What happened if you did not receive a payment

A small number of SSDI recipients did not receive a third stimulus payment, even though they were may have access to to one. Common reasons included: the IRS had an incorrect or outdated mailing address, the payment was sent to a closed bank account, or the IRS had incomplete information about your identity.

If you did not receive a payment in 2021 and believe you should have, you can check the status on the IRS website using the "Get My Payment" tool, though that tool is no longer actively updated. You can also contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 to ask about a missing payment.

If the IRS confirms you were owed a payment but did not receive it, you may be able to claim it on your 2021 tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit. This requires filing a tax return, which you can do through the IRS Free File program if your income is below the threshold, or through a tax preparer.

Whether stimulus payments affected your SSDI benefits

The third stimulus payment did not reduce your SSDI benefits. Social Security explicitly excluded stimulus payments from the income and resource calculations used to determine ongoing benefit amounts.

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) instead of or in addition to SSDI, the rules were different. SSI has strict resource limits, and stimulus payments counted toward those limits. However, the federal government provided a temporary exemption: stimulus payments did not count against SSI resource limits for nine months after you received them, giving you time to spend or move the money without losing benefits.

If you were unsure whether a stimulus payment affected your specific situation, contacting Social Security directly was the safest approach, since SSI rules vary by state and individual circumstances.

Stimulus payments and tax returns

You do not report stimulus payments as income on your tax return. The IRS considers them advance payments of a tax credit, not taxable income. This means receiving a stimulus payment did not increase the amount of taxes you owed in 2021.

If you did not receive a third stimulus payment in 2021 but believe you were owed one, you could claim the missing amount on your 2021 tax return using Form 1040 and Schedule 1. The IRS called this the Recovery Rebate Credit. You would need to file a 2021 return to claim it, even if you normally do not file.

If you have questions about a missing payment

The IRS maintains a phone line for stimulus payment questions at 1-800-829-1040. You can also visit the IRS website at irs.gov and search for "stimulus payment" to find resources specific to your situation.

Social Security does not handle stimulus payment questions directly, since the payments came from the IRS and the Treasury Department. However, if you have questions about how a stimulus payment affected your SSDI or SSI benefits, you can contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still claim a third stimulus payment I did not receive?

Yes, if you did not receive the payment in 2021 but were owed one, you can claim it on your 2021 tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit. You will need to file a 2021 return with the IRS, even if you do not normally file. The important date to claim it has passed for most people, but you may still be able to file a late return.

Did the stimulus payment count as income for my SSDI?

No. Social Security excluded stimulus payments from income calculations for SSDI. Your benefit amount was not reduced because you received a stimulus payment. If you receive SSI, the rules were different—the payment counted as a resource, but the federal government provided a nine-month exemption.

What if I received a stimulus payment but I was not supposed to?

Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to report it. In most cases, the IRS will not ask you to return a payment sent in error, but you should report it so your tax records are accurate. Do not spend money you believe was sent to you by mistake without confirming with the IRS first.

How do I know if my stimulus payment was deposited or mailed?

If you had direct deposit set up with Social Security, the payment went to your bank account. If you received SSDI by check, the stimulus was mailed to your address on file. You can contact the IRS to confirm the payment method used for your specific payment.